Never let a,,,,,,

[SeaCat]

Never let an anal retentive son of an Engineer build a bookcase.

I have been working on this bookcase for the past two weeks now. My wife is going nuts, she wants it done.

The boards and Dowels are Honey Pine. They have been sanded smooth then Sand Sealered twice. (Sanded between and after the last coat of course.) The railing around the top shelf is Red Oak. This too has been sanded and sealed twice.

Not only are all the holes for the through bolts and screws drilled, but the dowels and the railing will rest in 1/4 inch recesses in the boards. (Naturaly they have been sanded smooth and sealed.) All cuts can be measured with a micrometer. All screws are Brass.

Tomorrow I put on the Varnish. Two coats of Spar Urethane. (Clear of course.)

Oh the bookcase will be five feet six inches long and three shelves high. Nothing fancy mind you. The uprights are plain dowels and there is no inlay work or anything like that.

I can actually put the thing together right now without using screws and it will stand on it's own. (I did this eralier tonight and one of the cats decided to test my work by jumping on top of it. It didn't even sway.)

Sons of Engineers should never do wood working. Theyt ake too long and what they build lasts too long.

Cat

 

[Corylea]

You sound like my husband. The next time he builds a bookcase, I'm sending him to your house, so I don't have to watch!

 

[GoddessHathor]

My father built me one of those over 30 years ago...and I can still remember him taking a month to finish it because every little piece had to be JUUUUUST perfect. But, I still have it, it's holding a ton of books and has survived thru 5 moves, 2 dogs, 2 cats and an 11 year old!

I don't think its an engineering thing....cuz my dad's a lawyer. I think its the anal retentive thing.

But great job! Sounds like it will be a gorgeous bookcase!

 

[DesertPirate]

There is a barbeque at my folks house that is brick and might survive a small nuke!
I know whereof you speak Cat

 

[emap]

There is no such thing as lasting to long when your talking about furniture, or houses. I mean look at castles sometime, or even better, the queen's castle in England, take your pick on which, all of them are filled with basically priceless antiques built 100-900 years ago, all are still functioning, still stand just as strong as they did when built. If i remember it correctly one dining room has a table built 800 years ago, still lovingly finished in wax every year looks to be still there in 200 years and more.

If you were to go back and in time and tell the man who made that table how long it would stay in the castle and be used he would swell with pride. It's not about being anal retentive, it's about wanting to build it right. Most people seem to have forgotten how to do it, not all but most.

Your wife is lucky, and impatient but dang I'm the same way, last time I said honey why don't you make this, I got half the sex I normally get for three weeks.